Dutch Bros faces a Des Moines drive-thru fight

A Dutch Bros coffee shop proposed for a downtown Des Moines site would face similar zoning hurdles that city leaders waived this month for Hyper Energy Bar.

Why it matters: The proposal will test whether Des Moines’ exceptions for Hyper were a one-off — or a precedent for more downtown drive-thrus.

Driving the news: A property-holding LLC linked to Des Moines developer Tim Rypma has submitted site plan documents for a proposed Dutch Bros to be built on a surface parking lot at 175 SW 9th St.

  • That’s part of a cluster of several properties, including the recently redeveloped Carpenter Paper Warehouse and the Lortex building, both of which Rypma is connected to and plans to redevelop.

Context: The site is also near a proposed $42 million commercial and apartment complex on a parking lot previously owned by Wells Fargo Properties…

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